81st National Police Day Ceremony Held..."We Will Become a Police Force You Can Always Trust and Rely On"

The Korean National Police Agency held a ceremony for the 81st National Police Day at the Chamsuri Hall of the National Police Agency on the morning of October 12.

The event was attended by about 500 people, including President Lee Jae-myung, Minister of the Interior and Safety Yoon Ho-jung, Acting Commissioner General of the Korean National Police Agency Kim Jong-chul, bereaved families of police officers who died in the line of duty, and other police officials.

Under the main theme, "A newly leaping police force, we will more firmly protect the safety of the public!", the ceremony served as an occasion to reaffirm the commitment to protecting the lives and safety of citizens through reform, innovation, and fair investigations.

In his commemorative address, President Lee said, "I extend my deepest gratitude to all the police officers who have worked tirelessly day and night for the safe daily lives of the citizens, and to their families who have shared the weight of that dedication."

He added, "We must always be wary of the fact that a few deviations and inadequate responses can undermine the trust and reputation of the entire organization," and urged, "I ask you to be reborn as a reliable national police force worthy of the public's expectations through prompt action and clear results."

Acting Commissioner General Kim Jong-chul said in his welcoming remarks, "Protecting the lives and safety of the people is the reason the police exist," adding, "When citizens face crises, we will be the first to reach out, respond resolutely to crimes against vulnerable social groups, and protect victims."

He also stated, "Through fair investigations that respect human rights, we will become a police force that the public can always trust and rely on."

Acting Commissioner General Kim, along with 14 frontline police officers, read the Police Charter and pledged to fulfill the mission and responsibilities of the police.


During the ceremony, the sacrifices of late Senior Inspector Shim Yeon-su and late Inspector Kim Sun-hyun, who were selected as the "2026 Police Heroes," were commemorated, and certification plaques for the police heroes were presented to their bereaved families.

In June 1963, Senior Inspector Shim was patrolling the area around Mukho Station in Gangwon Province in the early morning when he spotted a drunk citizen walking along the railroad tracks as a train was approaching. He jumped onto the tracks and pushed the citizen to safety, but was unable to avoid the train and died in the line of duty.

Inspector Kim was dispatched following a report of a disturbance in Yeongyang-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do, in July 2018. While subduing a suspect who rushed at a colleague with a weapon, he was stabbed and died in the line of duty.

The late officer's daughter, Constable Kim Sung-eun, and her husband are also currently serving as police officers.

Constable Kim Sung-eun said, "Now that I have become a police officer, I can understand my father's heart, as he did not spare himself and felt no time for fear the moment someone was in danger."

The National Police Agency has been selecting police officers who have practiced the police spirit of sacrifice and service as police heroes since 2017.

Memorial sculptures for the two police heroes are scheduled to be built and unveiled by the end of this year.

In the merit awards, a total of 474 people received government awards, including Kim Sung-jun, head of the public safety intelligence bureau at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, who received the Hongjo Order of Service Merit, and Kim Chul-soo, policy officer for investigation review at the National Police Agency, who received the Service Medal.
 
(Photo: Provided by National Police Agency, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.